Darren Hayes, formerly of the Australian group Savage Garden, released his latest album "The Tension and the Spark" in most of the world late in 2004. As of early 2005, the rumors of a stateside release are rampant, but as of yet, although there is a U.S. catalog number floating around, there are only rumors. The aforementioned rumors are being sparked by the release and promotion of the single "Pop!ular", with a slew of mixes. So far, the mixes serviced to Billboard DJs have peaked at number 5 (as of mid-February 2005) on the Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Play chart. The vinyl release in the U.S. included the following mixes: Wayne G. Heaven Mix Show, Johnny Budz Extended Mix, Guido Osorio Club Mix, and the Peter Presta Apple Jaxx Remix.
The Promo copy I received to review here has 9 mixes and does not include two of the most talked-about mixes of this song: Wayne G. or Almighty. The Promo insert does list the Almighty mixes, but the CD does not contain them, which is unfortunate, because I loved what Almighty did with their mix of "To the Moon and Back" when Darren was with Savage Garden. However, with this diverse roster of remixers, there's bound to be something for almost everyone.
Jason Nevins turns out two mixes for this Promo package: The Funkrock Club Remix and the Global Club Mix, which are available in both full-length and radio versions here. As expected, Mr. Nevins brings his trademark guitar riffs to his Funkrock Club Remix. The beat he uses is very old school, kind of a low-key "Planet Rock" beat. He even uses a vocodored voice in the background. This is my favorite remix on the package. At one point, Nevins makes Darren's voice sound a bit like a cross between Prince and Peaches. Very interesting. Nevins' Global Club Mix takes the song in a more traditional club remix direction. The beat is still the same as in his Funkrock Club Mix, but there are less guitars and more synth layers in this mix, as one who knows his remix work would expect.
Guido Osorio's take on "Pop!ular" is also excellent. Instead of keeping the chorus on the 4/4, he changes it up a bit, and that makes his mix that much more interesting. You get what you expect from Guido: dark synth stabs and some nice build-ups are all here. One note about the the Guido Osorio Club Mix (not the edit): this mix takes about 3 minutes to really get going. Don't just drop the needle and give up. It's worth the wait.
Johnny Budz' mix leaves Darrens' voice in the foreground. I enjoy Johnny's mixes because they don't overshadow the original feel of the song. He layers some great low-key synths around the vocal, to great success. Last, but not least, Peter Presta's Apple Jaxx mix is more of a vocal dub mix, which will appeal to those DJs who have floors that are less vocal oriented.
The remixes commissioned for "Pop!ular" were obviously well thought-out. Even if you're not a fan of Savage Garden or Darren Hayes, this package is well worth the money.
